Blaming both sides equally for fiscal-cliff stalemate ignores the facts of the matter

Saturday

Dec 29, 2012 at 11:15 AM

With apparently the best of intentions, Howard Schultz, CEO of the Starbucks coffeehouse chain, has instructed his employees to push a “come together” message to the powers-that-be in Washington in an effort to end the stalemate in negotiations regarding the so-called fiscal cliff.

But the gesture gives credence to the false impression that Republicans and Democrats are equally to blame for the stand-off.

Ezra Klein puts it THIS WAY:

[A]t the elite level — which encompasses everyone from CEOs to media professionals — there’s a desire to keep up good relations on both sides of the aisle. And so ...

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Pat Cunningham

With apparently the best of intentions, Howard Schultz, CEO of the Starbucks coffeehouse chain, has instructed his employees to push a “come together” message to the powers-that-be in Washington in an effort to end the stalemate in negotiations regarding the so-called fiscal cliff.

But the gesture gives credence to the false impression that Republicans and Democrats are equally to blame for the stand-off.

Ezra Klein puts it THIS WAY:

[A]t the elite level — which encompasses everyone from CEOs to media professionals — there’s a desire to keep up good relations on both sides of the aisle. And so ...